Prince Harry to go on Arctic trek

nepal 
Prince Harry said Friday he plans to show his support for wounded Afghanistan war veterans by joining a small group on a segment of their punishing expedition to the North Pole.

Harry plans to join the group in frigid northern Norway on March 29 for three days of training and five days of trekking. The trip is being organized by the Walking With the Wounded charity, of which Harry is a patron.

The group includes four soldiers who were seriously wounded while on active duty, including two amputees.

"What the Walking With The Wounded North Pole Team is undertaking is an enormous adventure of the most challenging order," Harry said in a statement.

The charity hopes to raise 2 million pounds ($3.2 million) through donations and sponsorships for the expedition.

Harry said he hopes the money raised "will make a life-changing difference to injured servicemen and women from our Armed Forces."

The four wounded men will be joined by two expedition leaders and a Norwegian guide familiar with the region.

The expedition is expected to take four weeks and cover roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) of frozen Arctic Ocean territory by foot. The group will be pulling their own equipment in sleds in temperatures expected to drop far below zero.

"Through this expedition we aim to demonstrate to injured servicemen and women of all ranks that you can achieve great things post-injury," Hewitt said. "Our training is complete and now it's time to freeze."

Harry plans to leave the group on April 5 to resume his military training and later in April to serve as best man at his brother Prince William's wedding.